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Doug Pederson fields at least one or two questions about RPOs every time he steps to the podium. Pederson’s Thursday press conference was no different. The coach opened up about when he first got exposed to the concept of RPOs as he prepares for the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend.

“I’d say they’ve been around for a while. I couldn’t give you a year, but for me, it was back in 2013 when Alex and I crossed paths in Kansas City,” Pederson said on Thursday. “We looked at some of the things they did in San Francisco with the creative stuff offensively. That’s where it took off for me personally, and now it’s been a part of the offense that I’ve been associated with over the last four or five years.”

It’s important to note that run-pass option plays and read-option plays are not the same. Former Eagles and Steelers offensive lineman Barrett Brooks talked about the two concepts recently on the Next Level podcast via BGN Radio.

“The difference is the read-option concept occurs during the play. (The quarterback) reads the defense and decides to hand it off, run with it or throw it. The offensive line is run blocking regardless. On RPOs, the quarterback calls two plays in the huddle,” Brooks said.

“He walks to the line and either stays with the play called depending on what the defense does or changes to the more suitable of the two plays called in the huddle. If it’s a run, the offensive line run-blocks. If it’s a pass, they are in pass pro.”

The 49ers found great success with both the read-option and RPO concepts under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. He and former offensive coordinator Greg Roman went to college coaches and studied the concept.

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After San Francisco selected quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the 2011 draft, they had a natural connection to Chris Ault, his coach at Nevada. That’s where they got the formation known as the “pistol,” which has the QB in a condensed version of the shotgun and the running back a step or two behind him.

The shotgun formation gives the quarterback a better view of the defense and allows him to read the play as it happens. The key reads are the middle linebacker and defensive end. If the linebacker overcommits to defending the run, the middle of the field is open, the QB throws to the slants.

If he drops back into coverage, the QB immediately reads the defensive end. If he crashes down to the line of scrimmage, the QB will fake a handoff and run with the ball. If the end stays outside, the QB hands off to the running back.

Ault was brought on as an offensive consultant when Pederson was coaching with the Chiefs, who used Smith’s athleticism on read-option plays.

Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

This kind of offense opens up all kinds of things for creative minds such as Pederson, who uses a lot of West Coast offense concepts that involve short passes and letting playmakers get yards after the catch. That’s what is happening a lot more with Nick Foles at QB for the Eagles.

“It was all a new world for me. … It’s going to continue to develop,” Pederson said. “It goes hand in hand with the quick passing game. The ball gets out of the quarterback’s hands, and you don’t have to block everybody.”

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